Vehicle-signal.



S. F. DOUGLASS.

VEHICLE SIGNAL.

APPucATiou FILED EUR-13.1914.

' Patented Dec. 19,1916.

3 SHEETS--SHEET I.

SQ F. DOUGLASS.

VEHiCLE S IGNAL. APPLICATION FILED rss. 13. 1914.

Patented Dem-19, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

s.- F. DOUGLASS.

VEHICLE SIGNAL.

A'PPLICATION FILED FEB-13. I914 mwma. Patented m. 19,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

S-EDau laws snares F AHlIUEL F. DOUGLASS, F PRAIRIE DU FLGCHER, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE Ti} VEHICLE SIGNAL CQMPANY, A GQXPQRATXON OF ARIZONA.

VEHICLEEIGNAL.

Application filed February 13, 191 1.

To all whom it may concern lie it known that I. SAMUEL l. Doiicmss.

I a citizen of the United States, residing at all Prairie du Rocher. in the county of Bandolph and State of Illinois. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Signals; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full. clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to motor vehicle signals, and one of the principal objects of the invention is to provide reliable and elii cient means to be displayed at the front and rear ends of a motor vehicle for indicating the direction the vehicle is about to take in turning corners or rounding curves and to indicate to pedestrians or motorists the conditions which exist in' advance of the machine and the intention of the driver as to direction to betalren.

Another object of the invention is to provide a signal or indicator at the front and rear ends of an automobile which may be illuminated at night and seen readily during the day, said indicator or signal to be operated by the driver of the machine to he turned in either direction to indicate the direction at which the driver desires to turn or to give other information to drivers of other machines and pedestrians with a view to avoiding accident to pedestrians or vehicles.

These and other objects may be attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of an automobile showing the indicators as they would appear when in position at each nd of the car, Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the interior of one of the indicators and of the interior of the controlling switch showing the method of Wiring, Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the exterior of the indicator'portions being broken away to more clearly illustrate the details of construction.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the indicator taken on line of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the casing of the controlling switch showing the contacts, Fig.6 is a detail perspective view of the rotatable element ol the contact switch, Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 Specification of Letters Ratent.

Patented. Dec; 59, 191%.

Serial n. 818,531.

of Fig. 2, and Big. 8 is a detail view of the reverse side of the rotatable element illustrated in 6.

Referring now to the drawings by characters of reference. the numeral 1 designates an entirety the body of'the vehicle upon which the device is being used. This body 1 is provided with the usual steering post 2 having thesteering wheel 3 at the upper end thereof.

The indicators which are used, are designated generally by the numeral 5 andare secured to each end of the vehicle as clearly shown in Fig. 1; These indicators 5, each comprise the casing: G which is provided with a transparent front 7 having printed or otherwise indicated thereon the notations "graded by the numeral 9. This casing provided with the outwardly extending hollow bar 6 which projects centrally from. its rear wall and is secured to the attaching plate 6, which secured to the vehicle. This plate is provided with an annular flange which projects inwardly and serves to hold the nipple. which will be more fully hereinafter described, rotatably in place.

The general arrangement of parts'and indicators having been described it now re mains to take up the description of the mechanism of the indicators in detail. The casing 6 is proyided at suitable intervals therearound with the diametrically opposed electromagnets Qivhich are arranged to cooperate with the armature 10 which is rotatably mounted in the center of the casing. This armature 10 is provided with the pointer 11 which is fixedly secured to the armature in such a way that when the armature turns, the pointer turns therewith. A centrally located aperture 12 is formed in the armature and is arranged to receive the nipple 13 as clearly shown in Fig. 4. This nipple 13 is provided with a suitable socket 14 in which thelamp 15-is secured. The nipple has attached to its rear end a flanged bushing 13, the flange of which is located beneath the annular flange of the plate 6*, and it will thus be seen that the nipple will be free to rotate Within the casing. The pointer referred to by the numeral 11, comprises a casin having a translucent front 16 through which the light from the bulb 15 is diffused. T he controlling switch referred to, preferably comprises the casing of contac 12:

l? of inlcanized iihcr ducting inai'crial which'is ahlc intsri'zds with the scric wl'iicli 21"0 arz .ng. LE to lhro'w the magnets 9 inio and on; of circuit. at ihe will of the operator. A sccond sci; of conlaci; points '19 are arrangcd around the casing 17 and are so arrangrcil as to throw the rclcsing magnet which will he. more 'full ghcreina .ter clcscrihvd. into operation, A centrally located aperture 20 is formrd in lhc casing 1.7 through which the c-pcraiinggf rod 521 adapted to extend. A suitablelever is secured to the operating rod and adapted to f0 in a moans 'w'licrclirv the device may he controlled by the operator.

Secured to thc shaft 21 inlcrinodia'to. its ends is provided ihc rotary clement is best illustrated in Figs. 3 and (1. rotating incnihcr coini'iris :1 a dish 2?) is pufcrahly of an insulating" material which and formed with a cam-like projcrlion iii. A suiiiidtilc concavity 25% is formed in the pc ripl'icry of the disk adjacent to ihc point r hcro iihc cam-like pro ion joins ihe sanic. Formed integral vith the rotating? olcinent 12? is providcd the. ar whmgl 26, use of which will appcar hcrcii'iaihn'. pair oi" springs LT and arc secured to {the rotating elcmcut as at 29 and each spring: connrctcd to its respective circuit as will he more fully hcrcinai'lcr dcscrihcd. L-aiiiahh' lca l' spring; 3 sccurcd in the '1 rail of tho casing l in any suitable mnnrr and lihs rolritahlr inounicd n 1 its l ri-c cnd hr roilcr 3'1 wl. h arranged to runny" i'hc proioi lions or lihc ar whircl to hold {ho siar i'nccl onsi acridmilaI ro iiation. A pin 3:: cxicnds in'i'o tho side wall oi th-c casing and is arranQ'r-d in form an lfll'iilnilt agi'a nsi' which ihc spring 535) pro 'lhc contact poi; 1B 'iorni iho turn for tho wir" Z3 1 which arc ronncctcd at i hoir opposii'c wilds lo 1hr olccironiagncls 9 which a c securcd wiihin [h casing (i. Tho opposihiilll'llihih oi ho coils i arc. comic-1a d as all 'l-lh; the wire lfi which is conncci'eiil lhrougih i'hcnicdiun'i of tho wire 36 to he nw-iicd i this wire 3% (0 a Tho op 'iosiiic llilfli'lillill oi the i) 39 which is carried hy halihzry suitahh: inlaid ih rotating clcnmu; i "1 similar coni'aci, ring}; W is sccnrcd to 5hr rotating Qifilllelll) "ll-l is arraiifrcd (to i:oiiipicl' ilic r loasin cnoid circuit which will ho more "fully lhc. hralnsi: sliding armature ii having sccurcd at cnc cnd thc rod 48 whirl: is provided at its free cnd wiih a 5% rincui oi a gear 49. This L'car Hti'lll(.lii l9 is arranged to coiiporatc with he {pear whrw-l 3i) rarricd by tho armature l0 and lock th s armature against rotation whcn tho current is nol: passing through thc solenoid ll. fl. suitahle spring 51. is arranged to form ihosogzincnt 49 info QIIQZLQkkuicnii whih the gjrar Fil so i'hat when ihcrc is no currcnl' flowing lhroufih the solenoid H. (hr smog will force the sc 'ment into cngzagz'cmcnl and iihcrchy prevent rotation of i'hc armature.

i 'roin thr foregoing! description it will he apparcni' iha rho controlling dei'icc for the indii'rators nra ilm placed at any desired point on tho car and for the sake of convenicncc ii: illush'alicd on the steering post. ii'hcn lhc driver desires to indicate in which direction hr inirnds iogo, it will be apparent (hat thronl opcraiiion ncccssary is to adjust 'i'hc landlo 532 which will cause the contact springs 27 and :3 o rcst on their respective contact poinls. lhus closing the circnii; through ill n ch-rironiag ncts 9 and also through the solcnoid ii and permitting the. armature to swing frccly in the direction in which the circ "I is flowing. As soon as the: indicator has rcachcd the desired point, it will he apparent that upon further turning of the handle (he contact spring 28 will pass from ch 1: rincnt with the contact point if) and open 110 circuit. thereby permitting the iooi'hrd scgzmci'it 4-) to he forced into on- ;Q'agcnirnc wii'h the iccth on the gear Wheel 50 and hold the indicator against rotation. Upon going! in any direction. it will be. apparcnl; hat the same operation is gone through and 1h: gran-wheel is never at any liin'e'frcc to ro'liaio except. when the current is passing throw 0110 of (he electromagnetic coils. (has it will he seen that any (lani i l ,fJQr-of confusion of signals will be avoided.

in 1 ii will be noted that the. Wires cxfcndinp; arr iss he top of the figure and hatter illustral. .i in connection therewith arc provided in furnish the lamp hulh 15 in rarh of the rcccpiaclcs hi: with the necessary pow):- lo ii ina'hi iihc indicator arrow ll.

While in 1hr 'lorcgl'oing there has hecn shown and dosorihod ihc prci'errccl emhocli- 111mb of ihis Uil'lillllflll, it is to he HD6161 meagre stood that such changes may be made in the combination and arrangement. of parts as will fall Within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a direction indicator, an attaching plate; a stud rotatably mounted in the attaching plate, a casing attached to'the attaehing plate. an indicating arm at'the forward end of the stud. anannularly ar ringed series of electromagnets within the casing, an armature carried by the stud and adapted to be attracted by the magnets, a gear wheei carried by the stud and means cooperating with the gear wheel to lock the indicating arm at various positions upon energization of the magnets. v

2. A direction indicator comprising an attaching plate, a housing carried by theattachiug plate. a hollow mounted in the attaching plateand projecting into the housing, an armature carried by the stud, an annular series oi electromagnets within the casing, means to-selectively energize the magnets, an indicating arm carried by the forward end of the stud, said arm being provided with a transparent front panel, 'means to lock the indicating arm at various stud rotatably adjusted positions upon the energization of the magnets and illuminating means positioned within the stud adapted to illuminate the indicating arm.

3. A direction indicator comprising an attaching plate, a casing secured to the at tat-hing plate, a false bottom in the-casingg separating the same into two separate eham bers, a hollow stud rotatably mounted in the attaching plate and through an opening formed centrally in the false bottom an annular series of independently ener izahle magnets arranged within the innermost rluimbei oi the casing, an armature-carried by the rotatable stud and adapted he attracted by the magnets electromagnetic means for locking the stud against rotation when the magnets are being energized, said within the hollox stud for illuminating the a rm.

In testimony whereof l ai'lii: n13, sigi'uiture.

SAMUEL DOU QiLimSxi}.

. means being actuated upon the energization 

